Teat-cup for milking apparatus.



PATENTED AUG. 9, 1904.

D. T. SHARPLES. THAT CUP FOR MILKING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 1, 1902.

N0 MODEL.

l7 avid NITED STATES Patented August 9, 1904.

PATENT FFICE.

TEAT-CUF FOR MILKING APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. "766,846, dated August 9, 1904:.

Application filed July 1, 1902. Serial No. 118,906. (No model.)

To all, 0077/0171, it may concern/.-

Be it known that I, DAVID TOWNSEND SHARPLES, a citizen of the United States, residing in Westchester, county of Chester, State of Pennsylvania, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Teat-Cups for Milking Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

invention relates to milking apparatus, and particularly to the teat-cups which are commonly employed in connection therewith.

The main object of my invention is to provide for utilizing to the best advantage a collapsing pressure exerted upon the exterior surface of the cup; and to this end my invention consists in so constructing the walls of the cup as to concentrate the collapsing pressure exerted upon a considerable surface thereof on that portion of the cup which will most eflectively manipulate the teat.

The novel features of the invention are fully described in connection with the accompanying drawings and are specifically pointed out in the claims.

Figure 1 is an elevation (one-half in vertical section) of a form of teat-cup embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a similar elevation and half-section taken at right angles to Fig. 1. Figs. 3 and 4c are cross-sectional views taken on the lines a: and y 1 respectively, of Figs. 1 and 2. Figs. 5 and 6 show a modified construction.

In manipulating the teat by means of a collapsible teat-cup the action should be, as in hand-milking, to first compress the upper or base portion of the teat, so as to eitherpartially or wholly out off communication withthe udder and thereafter to compress the body of the teat to expel the milk. In order to produce this eifect by means of an external pressure acting upon the whole surface of the cup, as in pneumatic milking apparatus, I provide for concentrating the collapsing effect of this external pressure on the cup, so as to localize it, preferably at the month end of the cup, which engages the base of the teat, and thereafter extend it to the adjacent portion thereof, and in order to secure a suificient collapsing effect with a moderate pressure I also provide for an increased effective pressuresurface by means by which such moderate pressure is concentrated, so as to operate the teats as eflt'ectively as a much higher pressure ordinarily would. To secure these results, I preferably form the walls of the cup, as shown in the drawings, with opposite stifl portions 2 2, extending lengthwise of the cup, and with connecting wall portions 3 3 of reduced rigidity toward the mouth end of the cup, but serving as a rigid connection of the lower ends of these stiffened wall portions, as at 4, so that these portions will have a fixed spread below, while their upper ends will have a pivotal or hinge-like closing-together movement due to the pressure upon their whole extent of surface. Thus it will be seen that the pressure upon a considerable surface is concentrated at a desired point, which is the es sential feature of my invention, and that this feature not only enables the pressure to be utilized at a desired point, but also permits the use of a low working pressure.

In order to provide sufiicient pressure-surface to secure satisfactory results with a reduced working pressure, the area of the stiffened wall portions 2 2 is shown increased by widening the cup, preferably adjacent to the mouth, as shown, thus providing for securing ample pressure upon the base of the teat with very moderate operating pressure; but the form of the cup is immaterial, so long as there is sufiicient effective area of the stiffened wall portions to cause them to properly close together, as described, upon the inclosed teat under the working pressure provided. The mouth 5 and the connecting end 6 may be formed as desired.

The wall portions 22 may be properly stiffened in any desired manner. In Figs. 1 to L a rigid plate '7 is shown inserted in the rub ber, of which the cup is formed, in process of manufacture. In the modified construction indicated in Figs. 5 and 6 side plates 8 are shown on the exterior of the body of the cup, with their lower ends 9 secured to a rigid cupband 10, whereby they are fixedly spread below, while their upper portions are readily sprung together by the concentrated pressure operating upon the whole stiffened portion of the cup. llheconstruction may obviously be 3. A teat-cup having a body of oblong crossc section With flattened opposite Wall portions of a stiff structure flexibly connected at their edges and of fixed spread at one end and vari able spread toward the other and an integrallyi'ormed yielding mouth portion.

4:. A teat-cup formed With a yielding mouth portion, and stiffened oppositely-arranged Wall portions below said mouth having yieldinglyconnected edges, saidstiffenedwall portions being of increased area adjacent to the mouth portion and having a fixed spread at one end and a pivotal closing-together movement under uniform external pressure.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in the presence of two Witnesses:

DAVID TOWNSEND SHARPLES. Witnesses:

P. M. SHARPLES, I. ROBERTS COMFORT. 

